Yep. The optics are terrible for the USA.
WORLD CUP 2026 THREAD
- Thread starter Snagglefoot
- Start date
Come on. Play the game!! Play on!
Neither Spain nor Portugal want to settle this in regulation time
I am just saddened for the US. If we win, the world thinks its tainted. They are already saying so. The US is now effectively in a lose-lose situation.
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Everyone freaking out about this should really recheck what actually happens at FIFA championships and if not considered completely normal, has been part of it one way or the other...
- 1982, German goalie Tony Schumacher jumps on Battiston, damaging vertebrae, knocking out three teeth and sending him into a temporary coma. Not even a foul given. Referee gives a free kick.
- 1982 again, Germany and Austria fix the result arranging a goal difference that sends them both at the next stage, at the expense of an amazing Algerian team.
- 1986, Maradona scores with his hand, eventually knocking the English out.
- 1990, a penalty at the final against Italy, which was clearly unjustified.
- 2002, South Korea is the host, and gets special treatment against Italy. Then against Spain. We're talking PKs and clean goals disalowed.
- 2002, Perfect Belgian goal against Brazil - disallowed.
- 2006, referee gives a Croatian player two yellow cards but forgets to make it a red card (a second yellow becomes an automatic red, usually). Eventually gives him a THIRD yellow to kick him out.
- 2010, England scores a clear goal (ball bounces 2ft inside the cage) which is completely missed by the referee and not counted.
- 2010, Argentina scores against Mexico in clear offside.
I am not adding the Bulgaria - Italy semi final in 1994, which is given to a French referee (France having been dramatically eliminated in the 1993 qualifications by Bulgaria and having to sit that tournament out).
Said referee gives a PK to Bulgaria against Italy, in all fairness, but doesn't give them another one some time later (Italian player blocks ball with hand in the penalty box).
The jury's out on whether this is because of Frenchness, or because it's not de bon ton to give two PKs to a team in a game as important as a semi final.
And those are just the ones I remember.
- 1982, German goalie Tony Schumacher jumps on Battiston, damaging vertebrae, knocking out three teeth and sending him into a temporary coma. Not even a foul given. Referee gives a free kick.
- 1982 again, Germany and Austria fix the result arranging a goal difference that sends them both at the next stage, at the expense of an amazing Algerian team.
- 1986, Maradona scores with his hand, eventually knocking the English out.
- 1990, a penalty at the final against Italy, which was clearly unjustified.
- 2002, South Korea is the host, and gets special treatment against Italy. Then against Spain. We're talking PKs and clean goals disalowed.
- 2002, Perfect Belgian goal against Brazil - disallowed.
- 2006, referee gives a Croatian player two yellow cards but forgets to make it a red card (a second yellow becomes an automatic red, usually). Eventually gives him a THIRD yellow to kick him out.
- 2010, England scores a clear goal (ball bounces 2ft inside the cage) which is completely missed by the referee and not counted.
- 2010, Argentina scores against Mexico in clear offside.
I am not adding the Bulgaria - Italy semi final in 1994, which is given to a French referee (France having been dramatically eliminated in the 1993 qualifications by Bulgaria and having to sit that tournament out).
Said referee gives a PK to Bulgaria against Italy, in all fairness, but doesn't give them another one some time later (Italian player blocks ball with hand in the penalty box).
The jury's out on whether this is because of Frenchness, or because it's not de bon ton to give two PKs to a team in a game as important as a semi final.
And those are just the ones I remember.
It’s sad because if someone previously did this there would be zero uproar
Final thought -- in situations like this I mentally ask myself "what if the roles were reversed"? How would everyone feel if the WC was in Moscow or Beijing this year and Putin or Xi Jinping intervened and a red card against their home team was reversed, first time since 1962? I think most Americans would be rightfully outraged, and everyone would feel any win by those other teams would be tainted.
Look at sports in the olympics that have judges - like figure skating or gymnastics. It has happened forever - China / Russia always win. It got so bad in 2002 they literally awarded a second gold medal after investigation.
Difference is those were outright robberies vs the red card was a bad call. Yellow card sure. That ref must be the Angel Hernandez of soccer. Why is he even there?
In the UK, kick off was due at 1.00am. I slept from 10.30pm with an alarm for 1.00 am only to find kick off put back to 2.00am. Went back to bed and I got up again having missed the start but in time for Bellingham's 2 goals. It was daylight at 4.00am before I went back to bed and I was tired this morning, but what a match. Well worth a night of interrupted sleep. Gives us hope in the competition.
Americans have seen outrage at home. I remember when Holyfield was disqualified at the 1984 Olympics.
In the end I have no problem with this decision. Primarily based on the lack of severity of the original foul.
Japanese
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Don’t do it very often, but I stayed up to watch USA-Mexico back in 2002. Might hav3 been midnight start time.
The save in the first half was the only other true highlight which should have been two powerhouses playing. I did pick Spain but not exactly like this. Fast paced teams seem to have the edge right now, not pure passing. This is not universal anything, just general. We will see.Ah. Someone decided to score
Did the guy everyone seems to hate FORCE FIFA to change? If so HOW?
FIFA KNEW it was a garbage call. They shouldn't have only suspended the penalty, but there - their hands were tied.
It's simply giving birth to cow over a molehill.
Well the FIFA bunch could grow a pair and say no.
They sort of act like the players pretending to be hurt to draw a penalty. Fitting?
Fair.
But honestly if its supposed to be a competition to figure out who is the best team, then its unfair to the next team for them to not play the best. The call was junk. The best team won. The next team should want to play the best - not win by any method.
So the question is - is this a competition to determine the best? If so the next team should want to compete against the best players.
Or is it simply another junk competition to monetize. If so they should all leave now - we have enough of that junk in this country.
No it won’t don’t be dramatic
Japanese
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FTW!
Game
Japanese
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